Shuttle-box motion for looms



March 17, 1953 A. AUTY SHUTTLE-BOX MOTION FOR LOOMS 2 SHEETS-SHEET l m. if

Filed Feb. 18, 1949 IN vENToR ALBERT A March 17, 1953 A. AUTY SHUTTLE-BOX MOTION FOR LOOMS 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Filed Feb. 18, 1949 I VENTOR'. /SERT A u y Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES OFFICE SHUTTLE-BOX MOTION FOR LOOMS Application February 18, 1949, Serial No. 77,099 Iii-Great Britain February 20, 1948 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a shuttle-box and picking motions for looms, and more particularly to that type of loom in which the movement of the shuttle-boxes is controlled by a pattern chain having its links connected by spindles provided with operating rollers and relatively smaller rollers, collars or bushes Whose arrangement determines the orderin which the different weft threads are inserted in the material.

In a common .form of shuttle-box motion for such looms, the chain passes over a continuously driven drum with teeth or blades which engage between the rollers of adjacent links, the spindles of the latter being thereby successively brought to an operative position in which their operating rollers and smaller rollers or .bushes respectively elevate, andallow to fall, vibrator levers indirectly connected to the shuttle-boxes.

With such motions, as hitherto usually arranged, the rotation of the chain drum is unidirectional, in consequence of which the number of chain links to be provided is necessarily equal to the number of shuttle-box movements required per repeat of .the pattern, and in the case of patterns such as tartans and voverchecks, a lengthy chain, whose assembly constitutes a tedious and expensive operation will obviously be called for.

It has, however, beenappreciated that the use of a .reversible box-motion facilitates the weaving of a pattern which will centre; that is to say, which is symmetrical with reference to a medial weft thread, one half of the pattern being a mirror image of-the other half.

By reversing the direction of travel of .the chain, those links thereof whose rollers and relatively smaller rollers, collars or bushes control the weft insertion for the first half of the pattern may be immediately utilized in the formation of the second half, the weft threads inserted during this return movement of the chain being, of course, in reverse order relatively to those in the first half of the pattern.

In this way, the length of pattern chain required is halved, or at least greatly reduced, with a corresponding reduction in its assembly time and cost.

Reversibility of travel of the pattern chainis also of advantage when the length ofthe piece to be woven is not an exact multiple of the length of the pattern, as often occurs in the manufacture oftartan fringe rugs, so that it is necessary for a section of the pattern to appear at each end of the piece.

Furthermore any reversal of the shuttle box motion calls for a simultaneous reversal of the pickingmotion, and with the known arrangement aforesaid the reversal of the two motions is effected by tWo separate operations, so that any inattention on the partof the weaver involves risk of damage to the mechanism and the material bein woven.

If the number of colors in the patternexceeds the number of shuttle .boxes available at each side of the loom, it .is necessary to leave at least one box empty, and there can only be seven shuttles in an S-box loom.

To take the case of an 8-bcx loom starting with an empty boxat the right-hand side, the insertion o f.an even numberof picks will mean that the shuttles will always return to the same side; in other words, only the four shuttles initially in theileft-handiboxes can be, used.

On the other hand, the putting in of an odd number of picks of any given-color permits .a circulation of all ,seven shuttles, since .an ,oddipick will leave an empty box at the left-hand side into which, on reversal .of the picking motion, one of the right-hand shuttles can be thrown.

The object of the present invention is to ,provide improved means for reversing the travel of the pattern chain, which will obviate the drawbacks of the known means and .Will be interchangeable between rightand left-handed looms.

According to one feature of this invention, a single axially-movable clutchmember-is employed to eifect connection of the box-chain .drum to its driving means either directly v(for forward movement of the chain) or through .a train of gears so arranged that the drum is rotated op- This reversing keyed orsplined upon the sleevebetweenthe two Wheels whose inner faces ,have dog formations engageable 'by complementary tformations on the clutch member.

According to a further feature of the inventron, the means for reversingthe,boxechaindrum (e. g. themechanism for, shiftingthe clutch-member aforesaid) is interconnected with -the;means for ;-reversing the picking-motion, so that both reversals maybe effectedby movement of .a single control. I

In a case where the picking-motion includes a longitudinally movable rod associated with rightand left-hand picking tappets and operated in timed relation to the shuttle-box motion, the movement of such rod may be effected through the medium of an L-shaped lever having a slot in one arm which extends from one side to the other of the lever fulcrum, the rod aforesaid being connected to the slotted arm by a link and means being provided for shifting the end of this link along the slot in the lever arm, simultaneously with reversal of the box-chain drum.

For example the mechanism for moving the clutch member aforesaid may be operatively connected to a crank arm whose angular position determines the point of engagement of the link with the slot in the L-shaped lever.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is an end view of a right-handed loom having the box-chain drum arranged for reversal according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, to an enlarged scale, of a detail of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the shuttle box motion of the loom;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the loom shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of the means for controlling the unit shown in Fig. 2 and for interconnecting the same with the picking-motion of the loom; and.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of part of the mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

As illustrated, the invention is applied to a known form of loom having a dobby sheddingmechanism, the normal features of the loom being merely indicated in broken lines to emphasize the elements forming the subject of the present invention.

The shedding-mechanism aforesaid is operated by a chain which passes over a toothed or bladed drum I disposed horizontally and parallel to one side frame I I of the loom.

One end of this drum I0 is driven through a clutch I2 and a train of gears I3 from a parallel shaft I4 which in turn is connected through a vertical shaft I5 and gearing I6 to the crankshaft ll of the loom.

The loom is provided with a shuttle-box motion of the known form shown in Fig. 3, the pattern chain I00 which controls such motion passing over a drum is mounted coaxially with the harness-chain drum I0 and driven through the medium of the latter.

As the links of the chain I00 pass beneath the vibrator lever IOI shown, the operating rollers I02 on certain of their spindles elevate such lever whilst the smaller rollers on the other spindles allow it to fall. The gear I03 mounted upon the lever IOI carries a crankpin I04 which is connected by a link I05 to a further lever I06 fulcrumed at I01.

A second lever I06 is fulcrumed at I01 for operation by a connector link I05 which is associated with a gear and vibrator respectively similar to I03 and I M but disposed behind the latter in Fig. 3, a chain I08 anchored to the lever I06 passing over a pulley I09 on the lower arm of the lever I06 and thence over pulleys I I0 to the shuttle-box III.

Relative angular movement of the two levers, caused by the varying positions of the two vibrators as the chain I00 passes beneath them, results in the shuttle-box I I I being raised or lowered by the chain I08 so that the several compartments thereof are brought to the race board II2 of the loom in a predetermined order.

Instead of the two chain drums being united together, as is usual, the box-chain drum I8 is fixed to one end of a sleeve I9 which is freely rotatable upon a spindle 20 forming a coaxial extension of the harness-chain drum Ii].

The sleeve #9 is mounted with its associated drum !8 adjacent the harness-chain drum I0, and its central portion is journalled in a bearing 2i which locates the whole assembly against endwise movement in one direction, endwise movement in the other direction being prevented by a bearing 22 supporting the driven end of the harness-chain drum I0.

The sleeve bearing 2I is preferably carried by one limb of a U-shaped bracket 23, the opposite limb of the latter being apertured at 24 to receive the end of the spindle 20 which projects beyond the sleeve I9.

Between this second limb of the bracket 23 and the end of the sleeve I9, the spindle 20 has fixedly mounted thereon a bevel gear 25 in opposed relationship to a second bevel gear 29 freely rotatable upon the sleeve I9.

Meshing with the bevel gears 25, 26, and cooperating with the sleeve bearing 2| to efiect axial location of the bevel gear 25, is an idle gear 2'! freely mounted on a withdrawable pin 28 upstanding from the base of the U-shaped bracket 29, whose outer limb is preferably made detachable to facilitate assembly of the gear train.

Slidably mounted upon the end portion of the sleeve l9, between the opposed bevel gears 25, 25, is a dog-clutch member 29 provided in its end faces with sets of angularly spaced recesses 30 adapted for selective engagement with dogs or equivalent projections 3I on the inner faces of the gears aforesaid.

Alternatively the projections 3I may be formed on the slidable member 29 and the recesses 30 in the faces of the gears 25, 26, but whichever arrangement is employed, the bore of the clutch member 29 and the coacting portion of the sleeve I9 are splined as at 32 or formed with keyways so that the clutch member is both slidable upon, and in driving connection with, the sleeve.

The clutch member 29 is formed with a circumferential groove 33 engaged by a peg 34 on one arm of a bell-crank lever 35 pivotally mounted at 35 on the U-shaped bracket 23, and

it will be appreciated that, by suitable oscillation of this lever, the clutch member 29 may be engaged with either of the opposed bevel gears 25, 25, whilst remaining non-rotatable upon the sleeve I 9.

When the clutch member 29 is engaged with the bevel gear 25 fixedly mounted upon the spindle 20, the sleeve I9 becomes locked to the latter and consequently the box-chain drum I8 thereon is rotated in the same direction as the harnesschain drum I0.

On the other hand, engagement of the clutch member 29 with the free bevel gear 25, which is continuously driven from the spindle I9 through the gears 25, 2?, causes the sleeve I9 (and hence the box-chain drum I8) to be reversely rotated with reference to the harness-chain drum i0.

Movement of the clutch member 29 to an intermediate position provides a neutral condition in which no drive is transmitted to the boxchain drum I8 in either direction.

The bevel gear 25 is arranged for location upon the spindle 20 in any of a number of different angular positions, and to provide for this, the hub anemic of the gear may have a set-screw 'o'r screws selectively engageable with circumferentially spaced recesses in the spindle.

It is preferred, however, to mount the gear 25 upon a flanged sleeve 3-! which is fixed to the spindle by the set screws 38, the hub 39 of the gear having circumferential serrations it which interengage with complementary internal serrations 40 formed in the flange of the sleeve 31-. By this means a very fine adjustment of the gear 25 relatively to the spindle it may be effected.

The clutch member 29 is controlled by a hand lever 4i mounted on the adjacent new frame H of the loom and having an arm 12 which is linked to a second arm 43 on a short countershaft 54 mounted parallel to, but below, "the coaxial chain drums l0, 18. The various positions of the hand lever 4 may be determined by engagement of a spring detent thereon with recesses in the loom side-frame l 1,01 the lat er may carry a suitable gate 45 or rack. The countershaft A l carries a further arm A6 linked at 41 to the clutch-control bell-crank 35.

The picking-motion is controlled by known means similar to those employed for moving the shuttle-boxes, and including a jack lever 43 indirectly connected to a bottom rod ll whose endwise movement in the appropriate direction causes one or other of the picking tappets 49, 56 (rightand left-hand) to be clutched to their shaft 51.

The indirect connection aforesaid comprises a rod 52 depending from the jack so and acting upon one arm 53 of an L-shaped lever 54 which is fulcrumed at 55 upon the loom structure, approximately centrally of its second arm 56, for movement in a vertical plane.

The arm 56 of the L-shaped lever 54 has a longitudinal slot 57 extending at both sides of the fulcrum 55 and through this slot passes a pin 58 in a clevis 59 at one end of a link 6% whose outer end is pivoted to a clamp (ii on the bottom rod l? connecting the clutch forks 62, 63, associated with the picking tappets 49, 59, so that the operation of the. latter is controlled by the movements of the jack Q8.

The connection between the jack t8 and the bottom rod l'i preferably includes a resilient or resiliently-mounted element to prevent damage in the event of anything fouling the picking-motion. If desired, the arm 53 of the L-shaped lever 56 may be pivoted to a block slidably mounted upon the dependant jack rod 52 between opposed compression springs. The preferred arrangement illustrated, however, involves the connection of the lever arm 53 to a subsidiary rod 64 slidably guided upon the lower end of the jack rod 52 for movement parallel thereto, the rod '94 carrying two spaced lugs 65 and the rod '52, which slides through these lugs, having a third lug 66 adapted to slide upon the rod '54 between co l-- pressionsprings 61 located by the lugs: 65.

It will be appreciated that the clevis 59 on the link til between the bottom rod Ti and the L-shaped lever 5'4 normally rests at the lower end of the slot 5'! in the latter, so that the lever 54 functions as an ordinary bell-crank in transmitting movement of the jack rod '52 to the bottom rod 11.

In this machine, reversal of the picking motion is essential when reversing the box motion. Assuming, say, that the last pick during forward motion of the pattern chain were from right to left, reversal of thebox motion would occur with "the shuttle "in the left-hand box, and

6 if the picking motion were not reversed the shuttle would remain there instead of taking the next shot of weft through the shed.

Reversal of the picking motion simultaneously with reversal of the shuttle-box motion by the means aforesaid is effected by means of a crank arm '63 arranged to swing in a plane parallel to that of the -L-shaped lever i and connected to a slide-blo'cktt on the link 59.

The arm 68 is fixed upon a short spindle T9 journalled in a bracket H carried by the loom structure, and a second arm l2 on this spindle is linked at 13 to an idle lever M mounted on the fulcrum 55 for the L-shaped lever 55, which fulcrum may also carry the adjacent clutch fork 62.

A second link '55 connects the idle lever M to an arm l6 depending from the ccuntershaft d4 so that, when the latter is oscillated to move the box-chain clutch member 29 into the reverse position, the arm $8 will be swung so as to raise the clevis 59 to the upper end or the slot in the L- shaped lever 5d, thereby reversing the action of the latter upon the bottom r-od l'l and hence the picking-motion.

The present motion is primarily adapted to the weaving of tartan fringe rugs. These are ordered in a variety of different lengths, which may or may not be an exact multiple of the length of the pattern.

If the length of rug will not take a whole num-- ber of pattern repeats it is not possible simply to adjust the pattern length to suit, since this would spoil the proportions of the tartan.

Consequently, no box-motion designed to reverse the chain at regular intervals is satisfactory, and with this in mind, the present motion has been designed to reverse at any point of the pattern.

If desired, provisionmay be made for quickly disconnecting the arm 68 from the countershaft arm 16 so that the shuttle-box and picking motions may be operated independently of one another.

The invention has been particularly described with reference to a right-hand loom, but it should be understood that its adaptation to a left-hand loom is a simple matter, involving no alteration of the parts other than a suitable angular displacement of the arm 68, so that it extends in the same direction as the arm '52.

What I claim is:

l. A loom shuttle-box motion, comprising a chain drum, a shaft in unidirectional rotation for driving said drum, a pattern chain circulated by engagement with said drum, means actuated by said chain for effecting the shuttle-box movements, a sleeve rigidly connected to said drum and freely rotatable on said driving shaft, a

train of three bevel gears having one end wheel fixedly mounted with reference to said driving shaft and the other end wheel freely rotatable upon said sleeve in opposed relation to the firstrnentioned wheel, a clutch member slidable axially upon and positively rotating with said sleeve between said end wheels, and complementar do'gformations on the ends of said clutch members and the inner sides of said end wheels, engagement of the clutch dogs with those on one or other of said end wheels causing said sleeve to be connected to the first-mentioned end wheel either directly or through the medium of the other two bevel gears, as the case may be.

2. A loom shuttle-box motion, comprising a chain drum, 2. shaft in unidirectional 'rotation for driving said drum, a pattern chain circulated by engagement with said drum, means actuated by.

said chain for effecting the shuttle-box movements, a sleeve rigidly connected to said drum and freely rotatable on said driving shaft, a flange fixed to said driving shaft, a bevel gear adapted to be fixed upon said driving shaft in an adjustable manner by interengagement of complementary serrations on said flange and said bevel gear, a second bevel gear freely rotatable upon said sleeve in opposed relation to the firstmentioned gear, an idle bevel gear intermeshing with the other two, a clutch member slidable axially upon and positively rotating with said sleeve between the two opposed bevel gears, and complementary dog formations on the inner sides of the latter and the ends of said clutch member, engagement of the clutch dogs with those on one or other of said opposed bevel gears causing said sleeve to be connected to the first-mentioned gear either directly or through the medium of the other two bevel gears, as the case may be.

3. A loom shuttle-box motion, comprising a chain drum, a shaft in unidirectional rotation for driving said drum, a pattern chain circulated by engagement with said drum, means actuated by said chain for effecting the shuttle-box movements, a sleeve rigidly connected to said drum and freely rotatable on said driving shaft, a flange fixed to said driving shaft and having a hub portion whose diameter corresponds to the overall diameter of the adjacent end of said sleeve, a bevel gear capable of rotation upon said sleeve, but normally mounted upon said hub portion and fixedly mounted under these conditions by interengagement of complementary serrations on said flange and said bevel gear, a second bevel gear freely rotatable on said sleeve in opposed relation to the first-mentioned gear, an idle bevel gear intermeshing with the other two, a clutch member slidable axially upon and positively rotatable with said sleeve between the twoopposed bevel gears, and complementary dog formations on the inner sides of the latter and the ends of said clutch member, engagement of the clutch dogs with those on one or other of said opposed bevel gears causing said sleeve to be connected to the first-mentioned gear either directly or through the medium of the other two bevel gears, as the case may be.

4. A loom shuttle-box motion, comprising a chain drum, a shaft in unidirectional rotation for driving said drum, a pattern chain circulated by engagement with said drum, means actuated by said chain for effecting the shuttle-box movements, a sleeve rigidly connected to said drum and freely rotatable on said driving shaft, a train of three bevel gears having one end wheel fixedly mounted with reference to said driving shaft and the other end wheel freely rotatable upon said sleeve in opposed relation to the first-mentioned wheel, a U-shaped bracket whose limbs prevent outward axial movement of said end wheels, a withdrawable pin mounted in the central portion of said bracket and carrying the intermediate wheel of said train, a clutch member slidable axially upon and positively rotatable with said sleeve between said end wheels and complementary dog formations on the ends of said clutch members and the inner sides of said end wheels, engagement of the clutch dogs with those on one or other of said end wheels causing said sleeve to be connected to the first-mentioned end wheel either directly or through the medium of the other two bevel gears, as the case may be.

5. In a loom, a shuttle-box motion comprising a chain drum, unidirectional rotar driving means for said drum, a pattern chain circulated by engagement with said drum, means actuated by said chain for effecting the shuttle-box movements, an axially-movable clutch member adapted in one position to effect direct connection of said driving means to said drum, a train of gears adapted, in another position of said clutch member, to effect transmission between said driving means and said drum whereby the latter is rotated oppositely to said driving means, and means for shifting said clutch member between its two operative positions, in combination with picking-motion reversal means interconnected with said clutch-shifting means, and a single control which by operation reversal of the picking-motion may be effected simultaneously with that of said drum.

6. In a loom, a shuttle-box motion comprising a driven chain drum, means for reversing the direction of rotation of said drum, a pattern chain circulated by engagement with said drum, and means actuated by said chain for effecting the shuttle-box movements, in combination with rightand left-hand picking clutches, a rod whose longitudinal movement effects simultaneous engagement of one such clutch and disengagement of the other, an L-shaped lever fulcrumed for oscillation about an axis transverse to said rod, one arm of said lever havin a slot which extends from one side to the other of the lever fulcrum, means connected to the other arm of said lever for periodically oscillating the latter during operation of the loom, a link connecting said rod to the slotted arm of said lever and means for shifting the end of said link along the slot in said lever simultaneously with reversal of said drum.

7. In a loom, a shuttle-b0x motion comprising a chain drum, unidirectional rotary driving means for said drum, a pattern chain circulated by engagement with said drum, means actuated by said chain for effecting the shuttle-box movements, an axially-movable clutch member adapted in one position to effect direct connection of said driving means to said drum, a train of gears adapted, in another position of said clutch member, to effect transmission between said driving means and said drum whereby the latter is rotated oppositely to said driving means, means for shifting said clutch member between its two operative positions, rightand left-hand picking clutches, a rod whose longitudinal movement effects simultaneous engagement of one such clutch and disengagement of the other, an L-shaped lever fulcrumed for oscillation about an axis transverse to said rod, one arm of said lever having a slot which extends from one side to the other of the lever fulcrum, means con nected to the other arm of said lever for periodically oscillating th latter during operation of the loom, a link connecting said rod to the slotted arm of said lever and a crank arm operatively connected to said clutch-shifting means and also to said link, so that the axial position of said clutch member determines the point of en agement of said link with the slot in said lever with reference to the fulcrum of the latter.

8. A loom shuttle-box motion mechanism. including the combination, with a chain drum, of a unidirectionally rotated drive shaft for driving the drum; a pattern chain circulated by ena 9 gagement with said drum through an operative path; means actuated by the pattern chain for effecting the movements of said shuttle-box; a sleeve rigid with said drum freely rotatable on said drive shaft; a first bevel gear mounted on said drive shaft; means for securing the bevel gear on the latter shaft in various angularly adjusted positions for positive rotation with said shaft; 21. second bevel gear freely rotatable on said sleeve in opposed relation to said first bevel gear; an idle-bevel gear rotatably supported in mesh with the opposed first and second bevel gears for positively transmitting rotation from one to the other; an axially slidable clutch member mounted on said sleeve for positive rotation therewith between said opposed first and second bevel gears; and mutual engagement means upon the inner facing sides of said onposed first and second bevel gears and the ends of said clutch member for selected engagement of the latter member with one or the other of said opposed bevel gears, the arrangement being such 10 that the clutch member is directly engageable with said first bevel gear or indirectly connected therewith through the second and idle bevel gears.

ALBERT AUTY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT Number Name Date 469,210 Hollingworth Feb. 16, 1892 752,973 Hollingworth Feb. 23, 1904 15 1,164,129 Shackleton Dec. 14, 1915 1,852,083 Jennings Apr. 5, 1932 2,425,676 Hindle Aug. 12, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 20 Number Country Date 3,077 Great Britain of 1877 10,213 Great Britain of 1890 

